Vox Pop

Last week V&A Museum head of design Moira Gemmell said that designers renowned for one discipline shouldn’t suffer from being pigeonholed by it. What are the best examples of designers successfully challenging clients’ perception?

Thomas Heatherwick, Founder, Thomas Heatherwick

Studio

Adrian Shaughnessy, Creative director, Intro

Jon Turner, Executive creative director, Enterprise IG

‘Pigeonholing isn’t restricted to designers. Actors, artists, musicians, architects all suffer from this human reaction to limiting risk when buying creative output. The best way to earn the opportunity to a greater creative remit is to generate big ideas that need to be interpreted across many media. Sir Norman Foster has earned the opportunity to design everything in his buildings (then the client moves in with its mahogany sideboards).’

Peter Matthews, Managing director, Nucleus

‘I feel extremely schizophrenic about this issue. One half of me has been inspired by the likes of Andy Warhol, but particularly Len Lye, for their ability to exist in the world of ideas, unhindered by any particular media bias. On the other hand, I am pleased that David Beckham tends not to proffer any thoughts, other than those he has regarding football (for which I admire him greatly).’

Tom Roope, Creative director, Tomato Interactive